इदमानंदकंदाख्यं विद्धि वृंदावनं मम । यस्मिन्प्रवेशमात्रेण न पुनः संसृतिं विशेत्
Know this Vṛndāvana of Mine as the place called the Giver of Bliss, where, upon merely entering, one does not enter saṃsāra again.
मद्वनं प्राप्य यो मूढः पुनरन्यत्र गच्छति । स आत्महा भवेदेव सत्यं सत्यं मयोदितम्
He who, having attained My forest, foolishly goes elsewhere again, truly becomes a self-slayer; this I declare to be the truth, the truth.
वृंदावनं परित्यज्य नैव गच्छाम्यहं क्वचित् । निवसाम्यनया सार्द्धमहमत्रैव सर्वदा
Never do I go anywhere, abandoning Vṛndāvana; I always dwell here together with her.
इत्येवं सर्वमाख्यातं यत्ते रुद्र हृदि स्थितम् । कथयस्व ममेदानीं किमन्यच्छ्रोतुमिच्छसि
Thus, O Rudra, all that was in your heart has been told; now tell Me what else you wish to hear.
ततस्तमब्रवं देवमहं च मुनिसत्तम । ईदृशस्त्वं कथं लभ्यस्तमुपायं वदस्व मे
Then I said to that god, O best of sages: How can one attain you in this way? Please tell me the means.
ततो मामाह भगवान्साधु रुद्र तवोदितम् । अतिगुह्यतमं ह्येतद्गोपनीयं प्रयत्नतः
Then the Blessed Lord said to me: Well spoken, Rudra, is your question; this is most secret indeed and must be carefully concealed.
सकृदावां प्रपन्नो यस्त्यक्तोपाय उपासते । गोपीभावेन देवेश स मामेति न चेतरः
He who, having once surrendered, worships Me, abandoning all other means, in the mood of a gopī, O Lord of gods, he comes to Me, not another.
सकृदावां प्रपन्नो वा मत्प्रियामेकिकामुत । सेवतेनन्यभावेन स मामेति न संशयः
Or, having once surrendered, one who serves My beloved alone, with no other feeling, he comes to Me—of this there is no doubt.
यो मामेव प्रपन्नश्च मत्प्रियां न महेश्वर । न कदापि स चाप्नोति मामेवं ते मयोदितम्
He who surrenders to me alone, and not to my beloved nor to the great Lord, never attains me; thus I have spoken to you.
सकृदेव प्रपन्नोयस्तवास्मीति वदेदपि । साधनेन विनाप्येव मामाप्नोति न संशयः
Even if someone declares just once, 'I am yours,' without any practice or means, he attains me—there is no doubt.
तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन मत्प्रियां शरणं व्रजेत् । आश्रित्य मत्प्रियां रुद्र मां वशीकर्त्तुमर्हसि
Therefore, with every effort, one should seek refuge in my beloved; by relying on my beloved, O Rudra, you are fit to bring me under your control.
इदं रहस्यं परमं मया ते परिकीर्तितम् । त्वयाप्येतन्महादेव गोपनीयं प्रयत्नतः
This highest secret I have proclaimed to you; you too, O Mahadeva, must carefully keep it concealed.
त्वमप्येनां समाश्रित्य राधिकां मम वल्लभाम् । जपन्मे युगलं मंत्रं सदा तिष्ठ मदालये
You also, taking shelter in Radhika, my dearest, should always recite my paired mantra and remain in my abode.
शिव उवाच-। इत्युक्त्वा दक्षिणे कर्णे मम कृष्णो दयानिधिः । उपदिश्य परं मंत्रं संस्कारांश्च विधाय हि
Shiva said: Having spoken thus into my right ear, Krishna, the ocean of compassion, instructed me in the supreme mantra and performed the rites.
सगणोंऽतर्दधे विप्र तत्रैव मम पश्यतः । अहमप्यत्र तिष्ठामि तदारभ्य निरंतरम्
Along with his attendants, he vanished there itself before my eyes; from that moment, I too remain here without interruption.
सर्वमेतन्मया तुभ्यं सांगमेव प्रकीर्त्तितम् । अधुना वद विप्रेंद्र किं भूयः श्रोतुमिच्छसि
All this I have related to you at the confluence; now, tell me, O best of Brahmins, what more you wish to hear.
नारद उवाच- भगवन्सर्वमाख्यातं यद्यत्पृष्टं मया गुरो । अधुना श्रोतुमिच्छामि भावमार्गमनुत्तमम्
Narada said: O Lord, everything I asked has been told by you, O Guru; now I wish to hear the supreme path of devotion.
शिव उवाच- साधु विप्र त्वया पृष्टं सर्वलोकहितैषिणा । रहस्यमपि वक्ष्यामि तन्मे निगदतः शृणु
Shiva said: Well asked, O Brahmin, by you who desire the welfare of all worlds; I will speak even the secret—listen as I declare it.
दास्यः सखायः पितरौ प्रेयस्यश्च हरेरिह । सर्वे नित्या मुनिश्रेष्ठ वसंति गुणशालिनः
Servants, friends, parents, and beloveds of Hari—all these, O best of sages, are eternal and full of virtues.
यथा प्रकटलीलायां पुराणेषु प्रकीर्तिताः । तथा ते नित्यलीलायां संति वृंदावने भुवि
Just as they are described in the manifest pastimes in the Puranas, so too they exist in the eternal pastimes in Vrindavan on earth.
गमनागमने नित्यं करोति वनगोष्ठयोः । गोचारणं वयस्यैश्च विनाऽसुरविघातनम्
In the forest and cowherd settlements, he always goes and comes, tending the cows with his friends, except for the slaying of demons.
करकीयाभिमानिन्यस्तथा तस्य प्रिया जनाः । प्रच्छन्नेनैव भावेन रमयंति निजप्रियम्
Those proud of their own hands, and likewise his beloved people, delight their dear one with hidden feelings.
आत्मानं चिंतयेत्तत्र तासां मध्ये मनोरमाम् । रूपयौवनसंपन्नां किशोरीं प्रमदाकृतिम्
There, among them, one should imagine oneself as a charming maiden, endowed with beauty and youth, with the form of a young woman.
नानाशिल्पकलाभिज्ञां कृष्णभोगानुरूपिणीम् । प्रार्थितामपि कृष्णेन तत्र भोगपराङ्मुखीम्
Skilled in various arts and crafts, suited to Krishna's enjoyments, even desired by Krishna but indifferent to those pleasures.
राधिकानुचरीं तत्र तत्सेवनपरायणाम् । कृष्णादप्यधिकं प्रेम राधिकायां प्रकुर्वतीम्
There, as a follower of Radhika, devoted to her service, showing greater love for Radhika than even for Krishna.
प्रीत्यानुदिवसं यत्नात्तयोः संगमकारिणीम् । तत्सेवनसुखाह्लादभावेनातिसुनिर्वृताम्
Striving daily with affection to bring about their union, and feeling supreme contentment in the joy and delight of serving her.
इत्यात्मानं विचिंत्यैव तत्र सेवां समाचरेत् । ब्राह्मं मुहूर्त्तमारभ्य यावत्स्यात्तु महानिशा
Thus, having reflected upon oneself in this way, one should perform service there, beginning from the Brahma-muhūrta until the deep night.
नारद उवाच- हरेर्दैनंदिनीं लीलां श्रोतुमिच्छामि तत्त्वतः । लीलामजानता सेव्यो मनसा तु कथं हरिः
Nārada said: I wish to hear, in truth, the daily pastimes of Hari; for one who does not know these pastimes, how is Hari to be served in the mind?
शिव उवाच- नाहं जानामि तां लीलां हरेर्नारदतत्त्वतः । वृंदादेवीमितो गच्छ सा ते लीलां प्रवक्ष्यति
Śiva said: I do not know those pastimes of Hari in their true nature, O Nārada; go to Vṛndādevī from here—she will tell you the pastimes.
अविदूर इतः स्थानात्केशीतीर्थसमीपतः । सखीसंघवृता सास्ते गोविंदपरिचारिका
Not far from this place, near the Keśī-tīrtha, she dwells surrounded by a group of companions, serving Govinda.